India, Germany seek deeper defence ties

India on Wednesday urged Germany to expedite clearances for defence-technology equipment as the two countries moved to expand collaboration in the security domain. At the same time, both sides flagged China’s “increasingly aggressive behaviour” in the Indo-Pacific as a matter of concern.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, speaking alongside External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at a joint press conference after bilateral talks, said: “China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific is a cause for concern for both our countries.” He added that India and Germany were united in preserving a rules-based international order, which includes freedom of maritime trade routes.

The reference was a clear signal to Beijing, which has often objected to foreign warships navigating international waters in the South China Sea.

On defence cooperation, India and Germany are in advanced discussions on building six next-generation submarines, equipped with air-independent propulsion technology to stay underwater for extended periods. The project involves Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and Germany’s Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS), and is expected to be cleared this year.

Jaishankar noted an “uptick” in bilateral defence and security ties, pointing to greater industry collaboration and rising defence trade. “Today we discussed faster clearances and growing defence trade that has gone up significantly,” he said, while acknowledging that past export-control difficulties had now eased.

Wadephul echoed the sentiment, stressing that Berlin aimed to expand cooperation in defence, security and armaments, including by speeding up the export licence process.

Military cooperation is also set to deepen through more joint exercises. Germany took part in the ‘Tarang Shakti’ air drills last year, while its warships have made port calls to Goa.